Blending Rural Charm with Classic Style

The clients wanted a traditional but modern home that would reflect their values and give their young family room to grow and play. The site, with stunning mountain views, guided many of the design and style choices.

With the limestone laced Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding the new home, making stone work a dominant theme in the design and style was a natural choice. Eldorado Stone’s Crescent Peak Shadow Rock was integrated as a central concept for both the interior and exterior of this contemporary Craftsman style home with Farmhouse style influences. Both the materials and style complement the site, which lies alongside a horse pasture which overlooks town and the Virginia Tech campus, known for its “Hokiestone” dominant architecture.

The home’s entry features stone steps and column bases that surround the Southern style front porch exhibiting the impression of heritage and legacy. The Shadow Rock exterior veneer on the lower level grounds the home to its hilltop site, while the slate blue Hardiplank siding on the upper floors embraces the sky and blends with the neighborhoods below. Inside, the living room’s stone fireplace is a natural focal point that welcomes family and guests.

An open floor plan with high ceilings and clerestory windows allows the classic look of the home, entered via the stout stone stairway, to lead seamlessly to the contemporary interior. Consistent with other homes designed by this builder, the design focused on both energy efficiency and comfort. Using energy efficient wall and roof assemblies and a downsized heating system, the clients expect their utility bills to be about half of a typical house of this size. The high ceiling of the main floor living area lifts the upstairs bedroom just enough to really embrace the hilltop views and winter sun. Care was taken to frame windows around the best views where possible.

The clients were very involved in all the decisions that shaped the look of this home. Working with the Shelter Alternatives, Inc. design team they achieved a balance of color and texture that is anchored by the stone look. The interior plays off this theme with dramatic wood floors as a base to the interior landscape. The kitchen features contrasting black and white cabinets warmed by the Brazilian Cherry floors and accented with a colorful glass tile backsplash. The kids’ bedrooms each feature one colored wall, bright green for her, and VT Hokie maroon with an orange light fixture for him. The parents have a large dressing room and bath suite on the main floor, on the other side of the living area from a mother-in-law suite for visiting grandparents.

The practicality of energy efficient details and refined yet understated materials express the family’s smart sense of style and comfort that will be appreciated for generations.

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